A Merry Little Chris-mas
by OneSnazzyGnome
Summary: Have you ever had to work on Christmas Eve? WELL, IT SUCKS! Though to be honest, Ashley didn't have any Christmas plans in store, maybe just chilling and watching Christmas specials. But now, she's got to be at the office while everyone else is who knows where. Even Chris is out of town, in Texas of all places! This is gonna be a lame holiday. Alternate Universe: NO prank.
1. Working sucks

**Ashley**

My boss leaves the room and I sigh, shaking my head. I already work nine hours, Monday through Friday, and now they want me to work on Christmas Eve? I glance over at the calendar pinned on the wall of my cubicle. It was a present from Sam, featuring puppies frolicking in the snow. Freaking hippie. On today's square (December 23) it says "revise article, lunch meeting, decorate apartment." On tomorrow's square, all it says is "party with peeps!"

Another sigh as I take the red sharpie in hand and draw a straight line through tomorrow's plans, as well as making today with an" X." I prepare to leave, gathering my papers, turning off the ancient DELL computer on my cheap IKEA desk. Honestly, you'd think a newspaper company would have better offices. Then again, I'm still pretty low on the food chain.

I get out of my chair and grab my coat, fixing my knitted barett as I do. As I reach under my desk to grab my purse, I can't help but look up at the photos of my friends decorating my cork board, surrounding various lists, memos, and other documents. There's Sam trying to teach Josh, Hannah, Matt, Mike, and I how to rock climb. That was a…memorable experience. There's Emily and I after we won first and second place at the school Geography Bee. There's Jess, Beth, Emily, and I before prom and the whole group at the beach. There's Matt and Sam after a workout, Chris and Josh with ice cream, and Hannah after she got her tattoo. But the photos that scream out and grab my attention, are the various ones of Chris and I. Making duck faces in a photo booth, throwing snowballs at each other, sitting and looking up at the stars.

Most of the photos of us were taken by the weirdos I call friends. I used to be embarrassed by the paparazzi quality they all seem to have in common. But now, the photos remind me of extremely happy and simpler times. Before graduating and being thrown into the world of hellish office jobs that suck up all free time. My two favorite photos are the ones in the right-hand corner of the cork board.

The first is of me and Chris, right after he graduated high school. He's got one arm around me, and I'm wearing his graduation cap on top of one of my beanie hats. We look so young and carefree… I cringe at my exaggerated bangs and Chris' super short (almost buzz cut short) hair. His Joven-hawk haircut suits him much, much better.

The second photo was taken earlier this year, when Chris and I graduated from college. After high school, Chris took a gap year to work and make some money. It turns out, I got a scholarship to the same school he was planning on going to and we were like "Hell yeah!" It was great, my professor was just the coolest and Chris and I our third year in, decided to go overseas. We went to Italy which was, to say the least, fantastic! Lots of free time to wander around Florence, various small Tuscany towns, and to write. In the end, Chris graduated with two degrees, one in computer science and the other in electrical engineering. I (somehow) graduated cum laude with a degree in creative writing and minoring in Italian. In the photo, Chris is wearing both of our caps, trying to balance them on his head. The photographer (probably dad) caught me mid-laugh, eyes closed.

I smile at the memory, taking the thumb tack off the photo and gripping the picture in my right hand. Carefully, I pull _To Kill a Mockingbird_ from my bag and flip to the page I'm on. I pull out my bookmark and stuff the photo in the pages, safe from harm. Without another glance at the room, I put the book back into my bag, turn off the lights, and exit my cramped home away from home.

One short bus ride later, I'm back at my apartment. It's actually really close to where I work, so theoretically I could walk home. But it's way too cold and I lost my mittens last week.

I kick off my uggs and hang my heavy coat on a hook in the front entryway. I hurry to the kitchen, not bothering to take off my hat (my ears are cold, okay?!) and begin making some hot chocolate. I wish Chris were in town, he makes the most heavenly hot chocolate in the world. But that dingbat never lets me help him make it, he always makes me go sit in another room. Sadly, Chris is in Texas with his family over the holidays, so my concoction of cocoa powder and lukewarm milk with have to do for now.

That reminds me…

I run to my bedroom and grab my laptop, bringing it back into the kitchen with me. I pop it open and type my password, skimping my drink as I do. A Google document pops up, still there from last night. I minimize it and tap the Skype icon, listening to the app's whoosh loading sound. I find Chris' alias (Señor Sp00ks-a lot. His choice, not mine) and click "call." It rings for a few seconds, until Chris' (somewhat grainy) face appears.

"Heyyyy gurlll…" he say, his voice dripping fake sass. He looks very festive in his bright red Christmas jumper and Santa hat. I can hear voices in the background, most likely his family.

"Heyyy Chris," I say reply, my day instantly better. "What's up?"

He shrugs, a corny smile on his face. "Nothing much, we ju-"

His voice is cut off by the joking voice of a relative. "Oh really Christopher? We're nothing much? Hand over that computer!"

I hear Chris sigh, and I experience a couple moments of shaky camera movement as Chris turns the computer around to face his family. Apparently, he's in the living room as there's a fireplace and about fifteen people including what looks like cousins, aunts and uncles, his mom and dad, and grandma just lying around. They're all wearing Santa hats and holding hot drinks. As Chris himself moves back into the frame, I can't help but notice an exchange going on between two cousins.

"I told you," the girl, who looks about fifteen, says to the boy next to her. "I told you he was talking to a girl!" I blush as the boy sighs, passing her a small wad of money. So Chris' family thinks we're together, huh? Sadly no, I'm still too shy to give Chris a kiss, much less ask him out. I blush a deeper color and Chris fiddles with a stray thread on his jumper. The woman next the cousins shakes her head.

"Honestly, you two bet on your cousin? That's low, even for the likes of you." She smiles back at the camera, and I can't help but feel like I'm actually in the house with them, sitting by the fire and making small talk. The festive and light atmosphere is oozing from my monitor. "You must be Ashley! Chris has told us so much about you."

I somehow blush even deeper. "He has?"

Chris looks flabbergasted. "I have?"

The (I'm guessing aunt) nods her head. "Yes Chris, isn't this the girl you were talking about at dinner the other night? The pretty redhead who you li-"

The boy cousin from earlier quickly leans across the girl cousin and puts his hand over the aunt's mouth, cutting off her sentence. Chris looks ready to throw himself out the window behind him. I'm just staring at my screen, my mouth agape. _What?!_ The girl cousin quickly changes the subject.

"So Ashley, what are you doing for Christmas?" I see Chris send her a "thank you" glance and she subtly nods her head.

"Oh, uhh… Well I actually have to work tomorrow."

The entire room looks shell shocked. "What?!" The girl nearly screams. "You have to work on **Christmas Eve?** Where's the holiday spirit?!"

Chris looks pretty annoyed. "I thought you were going to go spend Christmas with Sam and the Washingtons. How could they make you work? Is the boss-man Jewish or something?"

The room and I chuckle a bit. He wasn't even trying to be funny, but it still made us laugh a bit. "No, he's an atheist I think. But he mentioned before that his wife is Catholic, so he celebrates Christmas. But the news never stops, so a lot of us on my floor have to come back. But as long as we get everything done, we'll be off 'till a couple days after New Years."

One of the uncles in the corner (who has a fantastic beard I must say) pipes up. "What job do you do? Where do you work?

"I work with this newspaper company as a researcher and editor. One day, I want to become a journalist and write the stories myself, though my own creative writing is more centered around fiction."

The entire room looks impressed. "So you write outside of work too?" Asks a young boy, probably eight or nine.

"Yep," I respond, puffing my chest out a bit. "Mostly short stories, but lately I've been working on a major project. But that's need-to-know, so keep it secret for me, okay?"

The boy looks very happy that he now knows a secret and has been trusted to keep it. There's another cousin next to him, probably a senior in highschool. "You're very pretty," she says, a smile on her face. "I see why Chris likes you."

At this, I blush, the entire room starts laughing, and Chris actually does throw himself out the window. I hear a small thump as he lands, and the entire room and I just fall apart. A few minutes later, he sulks back into the room, leaves sticking to his back. We all only laugh harder. He grabs a cookie from a tray on the coffee table and sits down in the corner, nibbling on the treat. A girl about fifteen wearing headphones plops down on the floor next to him.

"I have a question Ashley: how did you two meet, and how long have you known each other?

I ponder for a moment. "Let's see, we met at the end of eighth grade when we were at our mutual friend's house. So about eight years. And how we met… Our mutual friend was having a "graduating eighth-grade" party and we met when he pushed us in the pool."

The entire room laughs while the girl just stares, mouth agape, at me. "Seriously? The two of you met after being pushed in a pool?"

Chris and I start laughing. "It's true," he says, shaking his head. "My bestie Josh was throwing his first real party and invited practically the whole grade. I was chilling with my Coke by the pool when suddenly wham!" Chris pushes the girl for dramatic effect. "The next thing I knew, I was in the pool. I looked up when I heard a scream, only to find this redhead being throw on top of me." Chris mimics an explosion with his hands, sending me into a fit. "She was wearing a blue beanie hat and a matching hoodie. I couldn't see her face though because when I "fell" into the water, I lost my glasses! I said to her, 'Hi my name is Chris I would love to talk but I can't really see at the moment.'" He pauses while the room chuckles at the sheer awkwardness of our first meeting. After a moment, Chris continues. "She got the memo and dived back under water (not before handing me her beanie hat.) When she emerged, she had my glasses in her hand. And I had her hat on my head. She smirked and put my glasses back on my face, whisking the beanie off my head as she did so. She shoved the wet beanie on her wet hair and said, 'Hi I'm Ashley and I would love to talk now that you have your eyesight back.' And we did…talk, I mean. In the pool, in our clothes, just...talked. And the rest is history."

A couple of "awwws" find their way to Chris' computer's speakers. The girl with the headphones sighs and stares at him. "The most ridiculous thing about that story is the fact you referred to Josh as your 'bestie.' Cause let's be real here, I'm obviously you bestie."

More laughter. It seems Chris' family is completely made up of comedians. A clock in my hallway chimes eight, and I suddenly realize how late it's getting. I'm going out with Sam and Josh for dinner tonight a nine, and I haven't even showered. Crap.

"Hey Chris, and Chris' family, I would love to keep chatting but I have to go out to eat and then get a good night's sleep for work tomorrow."

A couple of disappointed moans. Chris scoots right up in the camera's face, filling my entire screen. He looks disappointed. "Okay Ash, we'll talk soon, yeah?"

I nod, "yeah, real soon." Chris scoots to the side so I can wave to his folks.

"Bye…" They call out, as we disconnect the call. Suddenly my quiet apartment feels lonelier than ever.

 **Chris**

I shut my laptop screen and turn to face my family. They're all sporting huge grins on their faces as they watch me blush. Finally, my aunt Betty pipes up. "She's really something, Chris. Don't you dare let her go."

Good ole aunt Betty. The best advice I have ever received. I blush and nod my head and the room fills with a small buzz of talk. I grab another cookie, leaves falling from my sleeves. I have no idea why I jumped out the window, there's a door about four feet away. I guess I needed a quick escape from the awkward conversation and thought that the window was the best answer.

I wasn't. I landed on a prickly bush, then rolled onto a pile of leaves. There's no snow in Texas, an engineering flaw if you ask me, God. Piper (wearing her headphones like always) is sitting next to me and also eating a cookie.

"So how long have you had a thing for her?"

The question is so far out of left field, a begin to choke on my cookie. She and uncle Frederick thump on my back as I attempt to breathe again. After a couple of minutes and about a gallon of water, I feel almost normal again. Almost.

Of course everyone had heard Piper ask me that question, and are all expecting an answer. "Ummm…" I very intelligently say, pushing my glasses up my nose. "Probably the moment I first put on my glasses in that pool and clearly saw her face."

All of my aunts and girl cousins (except Piper) go "awwww," causing me to blush deeper. Piper just shakes her head, slightly smiling. "It's a shame she has to work on Christmas Eve, though."

I sigh, shaking my head. "Yeah… It pretty much sucks."

"Do you know what her Christmas Day plans are?"

"Nothing. Her parents are in London and most if not all of our friends will be out of town by then."

Piper looks shocked. "She's going to be alone? On Christmas?! Chris, no one deserves to be alone on Christmas!"

All of my family members are nodding their heads, even little Bryce knows that Christmas is meant to be shared with people, and he's only four! I stare at the wall, an idea forming in my mind. _They'll never say yes, it's crazy._ But I clear my throat anyway, drawing the attention of the room back onto me.

"Okay," I say slowly, "I have an idea."

 _Okay... I'm sorry. I know most of you reading this are like "where the fluffin hell is more Out of the Frying Pan?!"_

 _I have no excuses. Except exams. And two broken fingers. And the flu. But yeah, no excuses._

 _OFP is fun to write, but at the moment it's_ _super heavy._ _And I honestly am in a really festive mood right now. So... Merry Chris-mas you guys! I needed a way to get rid of excess Chrashley that's kinda been building up inside me, so here we go! I originally wanted this to be a one shot... but ideas kept flowing and flowing. So now, it'll probably be a few chapters. No more than seven though. This is alternate universe (why don't you people read the blurbs?) and I hope it is to your likings. Damn, I sound like Sebastian!_

 _I personally come from a mixed up family, so we celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. This is not meant to offend any person's opinions, religions, or beliefs. It is just meant to be cute fluff._

 _Love you all, peace on earth, goodwill towards men, and I will see you guys on the flip side._


	2. Call it holiday spirit

**Josh**

The restaurant/cafe is empty, except for Sam, the bartista (what the heck do you call a guy bartista?), and I. We sit on one side of a booth, not wanting to get our food yet drowning ourselves in coffee. Sam is wearing a bomber jacket, jeans, uggs, and a smile. I smile. _Too cold for yoga pants today, honey._ She's looking out the window, watching the few cars drive by.

"Hey Sammy," I say, poking her in the shoulder.

"Hmm?" She replies, not even turning around to look at me. Rude.

"What do you call a male bartista?" I ask, jokingly. She sighs anticipating the bad pun.

"I don't know Josh. What do you call a male bartista?"

"A bro-tista."

She snickers in spite of herself. "Lame. I give it a three out of ten."

"Oh come on," I say, pulling her into a hug from behind. "That's at least a four. Plus I made it up on the fly, so it should be a five."

She laughs, leaning into the hug. "Fine. But, as payment for that horrendous sweater you're wearing, you have to buy me another drink."

I'm confused. "Why should I pay you? I'm wearing the thing!"

She cringes, "yeah but we're in public and I have to be seen walking next to that monstrosity. You're lucky I didn't shut the door in your face when you came to pick me up. Or try to force you into something decent."

I groan. "But Sammy," I whine, "I like-a the sweater."

She laughs again, her hair tickling my chin. "Fine, but you're still buying me another drink!"

I groan again, realizing Sam and climbing out of the booth. I exaggeratedly drag my feet as I sulk up to the counter, earning some giggles from Sam. The bro-tista is waiting for me behind the counter, a fake smile on his face.

"Another round?"

I smile and nod my head, my hand pulling my wallet out of my jacket. He punches a few numbers on the monitor and runs around, trying to do a three man job alone.

"Hey man, do you need some help? I worked part-time at a coffee shop for a couple of years, so I know what to do."

He stops digging under the counter for cups long enough to look up at me, his pink-dyed hair bouncing. "For real?"

I vault over the counter, grabbing a cup from his hand. "Hell yeah bro. You look a little stressed. Plus, it's just coffee."

He grins and starts making Sam's drink as I begin to make my own. As he and I work, the front door jingles as another customer walks in.

"Josh? Why the heck are you behind the counter?"

I glance up to see a surprised Ashley looking at me. I put on a shiny smile.

"Hello, ma'am. How may I help you today?"

She stares at me and shakes her head. "Okay, just a cafe mocha will do. My friend is going to pay for it." She smiles and walks over to Sam, giving her a hug and sliding into **my** spot in the booth. Grrr…

Bro-tista and I finish making the drinks and I carry them over to the table.

"Why, thank you," says Sam, taking her cappuccino. Ashley thanks me as well, grabbing her mocha and my drink as well. I walk back over to the guy, pulling out my wallet.

"'Kay bro, how much?"

He smiles and types a couple more things on the monitor. "The total including the three drinks comes out to…" He sticks out his hand, smiling even wider. What? "Zero dollars and zero cents. I've been working a triple shift all day today and you are the first person to help me out in even the slightest way." I smile back at him, grabbing his hand and shaking it. He shrugs, releasing his hand. "Call it holiday spirit. Though if you guys are going to get dinner here, you're gonna have to pay for it."

I laugh and nod, grabbing three menus from the counter. I practically skip back to the booth, sliding in the other side from the girls. I hand each of them a menu and we go quiet, scanning over the options for a couple of minutes. I don't know if Ash has been here before, but Sam and I love it. The food is 100% vegan, and surprisingly delicious, though honestly not as good as an all-American burger now and then. The same guy who I helped with drinks is our waiter, hastily taking off the apron he was wearing. Damn, is this guy doing everything?

"Okay, whada you guys want?" He says, pulling a marker out of his pocket. He grins up at me. "I lost my notebook, so I'll have to use my arm. I see you have drinks already so I'll skip that part."

We order and the guy runs back to the kitchen. I hope he's not cooking, he looks like he's about to pass out.

"So what are you guys doing Christmas Day?" Ashley pulls me back to the table, her hat flopping to one side. I think it's supposed to do that, maybe? I don't know.

"Well, the lodge is out, so probably hanging around? To be honest, we'll probably hang around my parent's house and eat all their food."

Ashley looks pretty confused. "I thought you guys were going to Sam's parent's house?"

Sam sighs, shaking her head. "Apparently they're going to Australia tomorrow. The nutcases forgot to tell me, assuming I was going to hang out with the Washingtons."

"Well I mean, you were always going to spend Christmas with us, right?" I put fake hurt in my voice, giving her the puppy dog eyes. She chuckles, not even fazed.

"Oh course, but it's still rude of them to think that I had no one else to spend the holidays with."

Ouch. "But Sammy," I say like I'm talking to a four-year-old, "don't you know? You don't have any other friends!"

She raises an eyebrow before leaning across the table to lightly smack me on my cheek.

"Assault! Assault! Ashley is a witness! Send for the police! Send for a paramedic! We may need to amputate my face! Oh god, am I bleeding? Oh no, I'm gonna bleed out!" I cough for dramatic effect. "Oh god, I'm bleeding out… Goodbye, cruel world…" I slump over in my seat, my head resting on my shoulder, tongue out. Neither of the girls seem impressed by my fantastic acting skills. A shame, my acting abilities normally kill at parties and such. Ashley just shakes her head and turns it to look at Sam.

"How's rebuilding coming along? I guess it's behind schedule a bit since you guys said the lodge is out."

Sam sighs, a concerned and slightly sad look on her face. "Well, that idiot over there has **all** of the details, but he's apparently dead. All I know is that the blizzards are negatively affecting the building schedule, and that there was some animal attack on a worker a couple of days ago, which of course stopped all work while the mountain rangers investigate."

Ashley's hand flies to her mouth in shock. "Oh god, is the guy ok?"

The show has gone on long enough. I sit up and stop pretending to be dead. "He's covered in scratches and bruises, and has several bites that the medics can't match right now. It's totally weird."

That mountain is pretty weird. Last year, right before the winter get-away we always have, there was a gigantic storm. The winds destroyed the radio tower, and lightning struck the sanatorium, lighting some oil drums lying around for some reason, and blowing the place sky high. The lodge was burned down, but here's the catch: there was no lightning within a half mile radius of the lodge, the sanatorium is (sorry, was) a little over a mile away, and that was where the lightning was most concentrated. Even creepier, the mountain rangers found disfigured bodies burned beyond recognition inside the lodge, and several bullet casings in the surrounding woods. Creepy. My parents are rebuilding the lodge and it was supposed to be completed by now, but storms and "accidents" keep occurring. One worker earlier this year was lost in the mines for over a month, stopping all construction as search parties were sent out. Sam, Matt, and I were personally part of several of those searches, helping out as much as possible. Sam used her magic-monkey-rock-climbing-powers to search areas unreachable by walking. In the end, a worker found the guy, insane and starved. But alive. Beth and Hannah convinced our parents to pay for the man's medical bill, therapy costs, and a monthly "we're sorry this happened please take our money so that you don't have to work but can still support your family and please don't sue us" fee. The guy has been doing better lately, he's out of the hospital, and right now he and his family are celebrating the holidays. But weird stuff just keeps on happening, like the guy a couple of days ago who was attacked by the animal. You know, even if we do finish reconstruction, I might never step foot in the lodge again. For my own safety.

"Ground control to Major Tom. Can you hear me, Major Tom?" Sam snaps her fingers, bringing me back to reality. She looks a little annoyed at me for zoning out. "Our food is here, dingus."

I turn my head to see (surprise!) the waiter with the pink hair hovering over me with our salads and pasta, his thin framed glasses sparkling in the light.

"Here you guys go," he says, placing our food in front of us. He turns to walk away.

"Hey man," Sam calls out, "why don't you come sit and talk with us for a while? No one else is here right now, and you look like you could use a break."

The guy turns to look at her, a big smile on his face. "Sure. Thanks."

I scoot over as the guy slides in, a soda fountain drink in hand. "So," I start, "why are you working three shifts today?"

Sam punches me in the arm. "You know, you're supposed to start with names," she says through gritted teeth. I love me my Sammy. She turns to the guy, a smile on her face. "Hi, I'm Sam, that's Ashley, and the idiot with the brain of a sack of flour next to you is Josh."

He smiles, grabbing her hand and shaking it. "Hey, I'm Leon. I'm working three shifts today because I want some extra money for the holidays." He looks down at his drink, his smile faltering. "You see, my boyfriend and I are fresh out of college, and student loans are taking their toll. I studied mechanical engineering, but nobody is hiring right now. Also, I have really low blood sugar, so sometimes I have to go to the hospital for medication and/or treatment. We have a system worked out where we have just enough money to pay for everything, but that leaves none left over for holidays and traveling. Hell, he had to work overtime for a week so that we could splurge on a Christmas tree. I'm working a ton so that I can buy him something for Christmas, something he'll love. Like a computer, or something that he'll both love and use. What about you guys? What's your story?"

Dang this kid has it hard. I mean, right after college it was hard for me to find a job, but my family is rich and supported me. I also had Sam, who was not just half of the rent, but a big moral supporter as well. I'm glad this guy has his boyfriend, but even still he's struggling.

Ashley responds to his question. "Well, we met in middle school and have been friends since. Josh and Sam have been dating for… How long you guys?"

"Ugh…" Why can't I remember? Oh crap Sam is going to kill me! She's giving me the death glare of a thousand war gods.

"Two years in a couple of days," she says slowly, giving me a menacing look. Oh yeah, we got together the first week of January two years ago, during the winter getaway. Hannah and Beth shoved the two of us under a mistletoe and I accidentally spilled spiked eggnog all over her. Then we kissed, but not after she slapped me for ruining her knitted sweater. Good times, good times.

Ashley nods, ignoring Sam's death glare and continuing to talk to Leon. (I like that name. Very coolio) "Anyway, I'm fresh out of college too, and I have to work tomorrow."

This throws me off-guard. "What? I thought you were going to party with Sam and I! You flaking on us?"

Now Ashley is giving me a death glare. "I wouldn't work if I didn't have to. The boss said if I didn't come in tomorrow I might lose my job!

Well, now I feel bad. Leon nervously chuckles, sipping his soda. "That stinks. I don't have to work tomorrow, so that's good. Though it means less money, it's more time to spend with my family and friends."

I like this kid, he's very optimistic and cheerful. Just like me. The door jingles as a customer walks in, hands shaking from the cold. In a flash, Leon darts back behind the counter and begins to help the girl with her order. Sam, Ashley, and I eat in silence, drinking our coffee and watching Leon. The girl is being a bitch about her coffee and he's struggling to keep up.

Damn it.

I jump out of my seat, shouting "I'll be right back" at the girls. I throw open the door and run down the street, skidding on the slightly frozen sidewalk. It's supposed to snow tomorrow, I think. I reach a Bank of America ATM and begin to type.

I walk back into the restaurant/cafe/I don't even know, five minutes later. Ashley smirks as I sit down.

"Glad you're back. Sam and I thought you left us with the bill."

"Nah, never ever. I just had to get some money to pay for dinner."

Sam raises an eyebrow, but doesn't question me. I think she can tell I'm up to something. Ten minutes later, we thank Leon and leave, bundling up against the cold outside. As we walk down the street, I remember something.

"Crap. I left my phone in the restaurant. I'll be right back."

Sam shakes her head and laughs as I run back down the street. I throw open the doors to the restaurant and run over to the table, grabbing the phone I left on purpose. I quietly slip an envelope under my plate before turning to look at my lock screen.

 _Message from: Cochise_

Chris? Why would he be texting me right now? I open the inbox after typing in my passcode.

 _I have a plan and I need your help._

Soo… Chris has a plan, huh? Count me in! I don't even have to know what it's about. I walk back out the door, texting him back: _whatcha need bro?_

The response is instantaneous. _Adobe Photoshop, 1 Christmas tree, a ton of fairy lights, some eggnog, some booze, a Santa costume, some candy canes, stuff for hot cocoa, Santa hats, some ugly sweaters, a key to Ashley's apartment, Mike, Matt, Jess, you, Sam, Beth, Hannah, Emily, a secrecy oath, some tinsel, and a plane in Texas in four hours. Oh, and a partridge in a pear tree_

This is gonna be good. _I can have a plane there in two hours, bro. And I can have the rest of the stuff in three, and you back here in four. Can I ask what this is about?_

He responds right as I reach Ashley and Sam. _I'm going to make Christmas._

 **Leon**

Those people were nice, though the blonde (Sam, I think) did scare me a bit with the death stare she gave Josh. It was nice to relax for a while.

Oh well.

I walk over to their table and begin to clean it off. As I move Josh's plate, I see an envelope. Weird, Josh must've left it. I turn it over. _Leon._ Even weirder _._ Why did he leave me an envelope? I put down the other plate I was holding a carefully open it. The first thing I see is a bright yellow sticky note. The second thing I see… Is money? What?

I glance around the room. Good, that horrible lady is in the restroom. I pour the contents of the envelope onto the table. This… This has to be at least seven hundred dollars. I gulp, tears coming to my eyes. I stuff the money back in the envelope and grab the sticky note.

There, in scrawling handwriting are four words.

Call it holiday spirit.

 _Hola mi amigos y amigas. I hope you guys are having a great winter break. Me, you ask? Not so much. I am currently writing this from a hospital. Yay! I was at a winter solstice party last night and I was drugged. Fun. I couldn't breathe and eventually went into shock. Yay! So be smart: don't do drugs._

 _Also don't put your Coke-a-cola down at parties. People will roofie you. Just like me!_

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! It was slow, but that's because it was a set-up chapter._

 _Since I am not allowed to leave the hospital yet, you guys can expect more chapters really soon. Maybe even today._

 _Be nice, be kind, don't drug people, peace on Earth, and I will see you guys on the flipside._


	3. Copy that, good buddy

**Matt**

"Jesus, Jess… You trying to kill me?"

I pull my hand back, rubbing the back of it where she smacked it. Jess smiles triumphantly up at me, pulling the small stack of cards towards her own.

"Well, you always win. So I have to play a little dirty."

She winks at me as I continue to pout, my hand still stinging. The noise of the airport crowds swirls around us in a blur, the sweatpants and tacky sweaters coming into view only to fade out again as people rush to their planes. The floor is a little grimy, but I don't mind.

"Can I slap in?"

I look up to see none other than Mike Monroe smiling down at us, back from the bathroom in a flash. Jess nods as Emily scoffs, wandering off to find a place to sit beside us the floor. I lock eyes with Jess, the competitiveness (is that a word) of the card game overtaking both of us. Our cards begin to flash like lightning as we flip them down, searching for face cards or pairs. One king. Bam. Jess flips her stack three times and gets a Jack. Lucky girl. I flip my card. A Jack. Before I can even begin to move, Mike leans over and slaps the pile, effectively capturing half of the deck. Jess gasps, and begins to bop him over and over again on the arm as he flashes the cards around.

Just when I'm about to smack him, my phone goes off in my pocket. I throw my cards at Jess, who gladly accepts them, and pull it out.

 _Calling: Klondike Bar_

Chris? Why the heck is he calling me at 11:00pm? I click the answer button.

"Ten-four good buddy, what's your status?" When we were younger, Chris, Josh, Mike, and I always had those cheap walkie-talkies on our bedside tables, so we could talk at two in the morning when our parents were asleep. This was back when the internet required use of the phone lines, so I couldn't talk to them on the phone while my dad was working, either. Chris' code name was "buddy," Josh's was "red-leader," Mike's was "ranger," and mine was "scout." Good times, good times.

"All clear, Scout. Requesting back up."

What?

"Come again Chris. What's up?"

"I need a favor. Are you in town."

I look up at the monitor showing our flight's status. It's been delayed over and over and over again.

"Bro, Matt, Jess, Em, and I are leaving for the beach. We can't help you."

I hear Chris sigh as a commotion occurs at the desk where the monitors are. Em is, _running,_ over to us, a scowl on her face.

"Our flight's been cancelled and we won't get to the beach until the day after Christmas." She says in a huff. I cough, then turn back to the phone.

"Never mind, no plane. What's up?"

Ten minutes of Chris explaining his devious plan later and I'm smiling and hanging up the phone. I turn to the crestfallen Jess, annoyed Mike, and practically steaming Em.

"Guys," I start slowly, "I may have plans for us yet."

 _I know it's not Christmas any longer guys. Chill._

 _I know I said I would update, but I didn't. Chill._

 _I know you're all mad at me. Go eat a Klondike bar and calm down._

 _I'm holding on to the festive season for dear life cuz to be honest, my Christmas sucked ass._

 _I didn't get realised from the hospital until Christmas Eve._

 _I had to drive nine hours in the rain so my cousins could throw cake at me._

 _I HAD NO INTERNET CONNECTION FOR_ _SEVERAL_ _DAYS!_

 _So chill._

 _Any-ho, thanks for reading. I know it's short, but I felt obliged to update something._

 _Ready for the cool part?_

 ** _Whoever correctly guesses the name of the game first, gets an OC character named after them._**

 _Now this has certainly peaked you interests. Merry Christmas._

 _Just PM me or leave a comment with your name (and gender if your name is bisexual) and the answer._

 _This should be very fun._

 _Hint: Related games- Slapjack; Beggar-My-Neighbor_

 _Good luck, my the odds be ever in your favor, and see you guys on the flipside_


	4. Sisters are nice, sometimes

**Beth**

Josh comes barging into my room at 2:13am. I know because when he throws the covers off my bed, he knocks over my alarm clock as well.

"GetupBeth!ChrisAshleyandIneedyourhelppleasssse."

I groan and roll over, burying my face in my pillows. Wait a minute…

"How the hell did you get in my apartment?" I half scream as I sit up, throwing a pillow at him. "How the hell did you even find my apartment?"

He grins a sinister grin at me. "I stole one of your keys last time I was in the area."

I glare at him as he shrugs. "What?" He whines, "I like keys. They get you places. I have a key to everyone's apartments except…"

He goes quiet, looking down at my bedspread. "Ashley's"

I sigh, exasperated. I do have a key to Ashley's house, but why the hell would he need it at 2:13 in the morning?

As if reading my mind, he looks up at me in the eye. "I need a favor."

 **Hannah**

 _Whack!_

 _Whack!_

 _Thud, thud,_

 _whack!_

The tennis ball slams over and over and over again into the wall, hitting the target painted on it dead center each time.

 _Whump!_

Whoops. I hit the ball too hard, sending it into the wall with incredible speed. It ricochets, sailing over my head.

Shoot. I guess now is a good time for a break. Breathing heavily, as I have been doing this for several hours, I set my racket on the floor and walk over to a nearby bench, plopping down on the cold metal. The cold air swirls around me, hints of snow beginning to form. I check my watch.

9:23am.

Damn, I've been here long. As I reach for my water bottle, my phone pings in my bag's side pocket.

 _Calling: Big Baby Brother_

I answer the call. "Hey Josh, what's up."

"Where are you? You're not at your apartment."

Now I'm getting worried. "How the heck do you know that?"

A few seconds of silence. "Cuz I'm in your apartment," he answers honestly.

"Why? Por que, Josh? Por que?"

He sighs. "Come on Hannah, you know I don't speak French."

Now I sigh. "You idiot, that was Spanish."

"Pshhh… Whatever. I don't speak that either. Listen, Chris and I have a plan and we need your help. The rest of the gang is already in."

Now this is interesting. While I don't forget how annoyed I am with him, I allow him to change the topic. "Okay," I say slowly, "what's the plan about?"

I can feel his smile through the phone. Honestly, ever since we discovered that Josh has schizophrenia and gotten him proper help and medication, his life has been about ten thousand times better. He asked Sam out, got into movie filming, and started controlling his life. He also got very much into helping other people, whether doing charity runs or just helping out one of our friends. One day, he and I went out for lunch and on the way there (we walked) we passed a homeless man. Josh gave him a few dollars, and we went to go eat. As we passed the man on the way back, Josh gave him our leftovers and $50. When I asked him about it later, he surprised me even more. He said, "Well I have all the help I could need now, I'm well off, and I have a fantastic girlfriend. There are a lot of people out there who need help way more than I do. I got help, now I'm giving it back." He still plays a ton of pranks on us, he's still the same old Josh. Just… Happier.

His voice brings me back to reality. "We're going to save Ashley's Christmas."

 _Long time, no see guys. Since I didn't have the internet over Christmas break, I wrote everything down in my journal. I finished the story, so now all I have to do is type it. Should be finished extremely soon._

 _I hoped you guys liked another short chapter. I'll probably realise another short one today, then maybe a long one tomorrow. I dunno, we'll see._

 _Also, a couple of you have been asking why Chris in the last chapter was labeled as "Klondike Bar" in Matt's phone. Just wait and see guys, just wait and see. Mwuhahahaha._

 _See you guys on the flipside._


	5. The Thing That Makes You Happy

" _I want you to tell all your friends you're out of my league so I can slap you high five when I'm sliding into home_

 _So when I start writing down our love in public poems_

 _You know you can burn all of my books if I don't live up to my word_

 _If you ever have any doubt that I am going to live up to the altitude of your highest hopes,_

 _remember it was for you that I overcame my fear of love_

 _For you that I learned the ropes of rescue remedy_

 _do not under any circumstances rip off the top of the bottle and start chugging it like booze_

 _You'll freak out everyone on this love plane_

 _And you don't need enemies at 30,000 feet trust me_

 _honey_

 _You just need to know this is the first time I've ever done this without looking for an exit row_

 _And I'm pretty sure my seat can't float but I've already fallen from the sky for you_

 _Already said no to the parachute"- Anna "Pepper" Pieroni, 2015_

 **Ashley**

After my dinner with Sam and Josh, I let them drive me back to my apartment. As I wave them off, I can't help but notice how excited Josh is about something. I don't know, maybe a new season of Arrow or something. I take the stairs up to my apartment because the elevator honestly freaks me out. Its got that creepy-murder-rape-saw contraption kind of vibe. I prefer walking up four flights of stairs compared to that.

As I walk down my hall, I suddenly realize how anti-festive my apartment is. Everyone else has wreaths and fairy lights and baubles… And I have a piece of tinsel on the floor. Woof.

I open my door, dropping my bag and coat on the floor, not even bothering to hang them up on hooks. I flop down on the couch, suddenly very tired. After a few seconds of debating, I get off the couch and turn on the fireplace before plopping right back down on my spot. A moderately sized rock sits next the fireplace, the word "ROCKY" written across it in permanent marker. I smile.

When we were at the lodge two years ago, Chris I and went for a walk and found ourselves at the top of a hill. Push came to shove (literally) and we ended up rolling down the hill together. Snow got everywhere. At the base, there were a couple of trees. We avoided them but after we stopped rolling and laughing, we decided to explore. We could find no animals. Chris however, found this rock. He laughed and called it "The Wild Rock of Blackwood Mountain." He then took a sharpie from his pocket and wrote "ROCK" on it. He showed it to me, claiming it was now our pet rock. We laughed and I grabbed the sharpie, adding "Y" on the back of "ROCK." Thus, Rocky was born.

I sigh and close my eyes, holding onto the memory. But for some reason, it's slipping away… God my head is heavy… I think I'll sleep on the couch tonight.

* * *

I wake up to light, streaming in through my window. I rollover grab my phone. Wait, where's my phone? I hop off the couch and run over to my jacket. There! In the pocket! I pull out the device.

Dead.

Damn.

I run into the kitchen, my hat flying off my head. I check the clock on the wall.

10:42

Shit.

I quickly sprint into the living room, turning off the gas connecting to the fireplace. Then I bolt into my room, tearing off my blouse and pulling on a festive sweater. I don't bother changing my jeans as I pull on my uggs. Running/tripping into the kitchen, I throw open the fridge door and grab one of my "emergency coca-colas." I pop the top and take a sip as I bend over to grab my hat. Then, I grab my coat, not even bothering to put it on and leave my apartment. I think I locked the door. The elevator is on my floor, so I decide to take a chance and fast walk in just as the doors are closing. I punch the lobby button and lean against the wall, putting on my hat and coat. Some crackly Christmas music is coming out of the speakers, adding to the creepy vibe.

* * *

I run into the office building at 10:58. I know because the reception lady wishes me luck as I begin to hurl myself up the stairs. I'm not late yet, not late yet. I still have two minutes. Two more flights.

I practically fall as I lean on the door to my floor, I didn't expect it to open so easily. There are three other people here: Joseph, a middle-aged Jewish guy with gray-streaked brown-ish hair, Christina, a girl slightly older than me with short black hair and playful eyes, and Felix, a tall gay guy about my age with brown hair and purple highlights. They're all leaning on the counters of the work room and sipping cheap coffee, and they're also all wearing reindeer antler headbands. Even Joseph.

Felix waves at me, his reindeer ears jangling. "Hey, Shortcake! Glad you could join us."

He calls me Shortcake because I apparently remind him of the infamous Strawberry Shortcake. I call him Lollipop because of his hair, which he always partially dyes crazy colors. He says he gets it from his boyfriend.

I lean against the counter, breathing heavily. I had to run here, no bus was running as I left my apartment. I just wave my hand as I try to get my breath back. Christina smiles at me, throwing me a pair antlers as well. She's wearing a sweater that has a Christmas tree on it. Of course, the lights on the sweater are blinking. She always has the best outfits. I catch the antlers in mid-air, shaking off my beanie hat and putting the headband on my frizzy hair. Joseph sighs, sipping his coffee.

"Even if I don't celebrate Christmas, it still feels unfair to drag you kids here to work today. Did you guys have plans?"

Christina nods. "Yeah, I was s'posed to go to Hawaii yesterday with my friend's family. I'm still going, just later today after work. Felix? Whada 'bout you?

She's got an accent that I can never identify. Felix always makes fun of it. "Not really," he says, shrugging. "I guess just lay around with my boyfriend and watch Christmas specials. Maybe go over to a friends house for some partying. Shortcake? You have to have had plans girl, like chilling with that Chris guy who you totally have a crush on."

I regret the day I told Chris where I work. Now, at least three times a month, he'll show up with donuts or pastries for the whole floor. I blush looking down at my feet. "Nah, Chris is in Texas with his family. I was just going to go over to my friend's house, drink some probably spiked eggnog, and pass out on the floor."

Joseph nods. "Sounds like a blast."

We stand around in a slightly awkward silence for a few minutes as we wait for the boss to show up. I can't believe I ran all the way here and the boss hasn't even shown up yet.

 **Rocky**

Well, Ashley came home last night and just crashed. Literally, she fell on the couch and did not get back up. Luckily she turned the fireplace on beforehand, getting me all toasty. My tattoo shines in glow of the fireplace, the ink still good.

I am so badass.

Girls dig guys with tattoos, yeah?

Anyway, at like ten something or the other the next morning, she bolted off the couch. I'll never understand people, running from point A to point B and not stopping to take in the sights. They should all chill.

Like me.

She runs out of the house, grabbing her coat. She locked the door, thank god. I know how badly any thief would want to steal me. I mean come on, I'm pretty amazing.

* * *

Two hours later, I know something is wrong. Voices are the door, turning a key in the lock. None of them are Ashley's voice.

Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap…

I gotta call 9-1-1.

Oh shit, I don't have legs. Damn it God! Why must you screw me over like this?

The door opens.

Okay okay… I'll be cool. Be the rock, be the rock.

Two men enter, hauling in a… tree? Seriously? What burglars bring a Christmas tree to break into a house? One of them has brown hair and a big smile, and the other is Chris.

Chris? Why the hell would he break into Ashley's house?

The two men move the tree into the corner by the fireplace, extremely close to me. I tense up as they near, their boots covered in snow. That's right, it's snowing lightly outside. Woo. They grunt as the move the tree, the snow from its branches falling to the floor. As they position it, several more people enter the apartment. There's a blonde haired hottie with tree lights, a short girl with a beanie hat holding scissors and papers, an Asian girl with Santa hats and sweaters, a black guy with some drinks, a girl with glasses holding shopping bags, a guy with decorations, and another blondie holding a mini tree with a cage around the pot. The enter, laughing and talking and begin setting things up. Must be a party, or something. But Ashley's at work.

Weird.

Suddenly, Chris leans over to turn on the fireplace. The gas knob is right next to me. I hear him gasp and look up to see him looking down at me, a smile on his face. He runs his finger over my tattoo, mouthing "Rocky" as he does. He quickly turns on the fireplace and picks me up, holding me in one hand. I don't think I've seen anyone so happy.

I just bring joy to the world.

 **Chris**

Is it bad that I almost cried over a rock? I don't think so, but then again, I'm really weird. Just, I thought we left Rocky at the lodge after we left those years ago. I thought he was missing in the fire. Whenever I look at this rock, it's like my favorite memories of Ash and I are all happening at once.

"What are you doing, bro?" Josh is leaning over me, a smile on his face. In response, I walk over to Emily and grab a Santa hat, placing it on Rocky. I place him back down by the fireplace, making sure the hat is in no danger of catching fire. I think everyone has that one thing, that one place that reminds them of the people they love. For me, it's Rocky. He reminds me not only of Ashley but of the lodge and all the great times we had there. He reminds me of warm feelings, love and happiness. Of hot cocoa and snowboarding and walking in the woods. Alone, with Ashley.

I am sentimental about a rock.

I'm crazy...

I'm crazy…

I'm in love.

Damn I sound like a cheesy movie right now, but I don't care.

I love Ashley.

And I'm going to tell her.

For once in my life, I'm going to be a man.

I'm crazy.

But who doesn't love a little crazy in their life?

Creative chaos.

That's what I am.

There is grace in my failing.

But I'm not going to choke up this time.

I'm not going to fail.

I'm going to tell her.

...

Right after I finish setting up a party.

 _Hello frienfs. Yeah, I know. I updated twice in one day. Whaaaaaaaa?_

 _Any-ho, I hope you liked this chapter. I threw in everyone's favorite sassy rock for good measure._

 _I love ya all, I'll see you later, enjoy your day, and I will see you guys on the flipside._


	6. New Year

_Oh you guys. You beautiful sons o guns. Happy New Year's Day! I hope you've stuck to your resolutions so far. Mine was to upload at least once a week (we'll see how long that lasts.)_

 _I know you guys would rather have a story than this note but I'm a butt. :)_

 _Any-ho, I just want to say thanks for all of your wonderful support and thanks for even bothering to read my trash. It means... quiet a lot actually. I was... nervous, to say the least, when I first uploaded. But thanks to all your support and encouragement, I now feel safe uploading my writing. And now, ideas are just flowing to my head and I realize that I don't have enoough time to even write half of them down. It's fabulous._

So, thank you. Yes you. Even those of you who don't comment or favorite or whatever. Thank you. I don't write for that, I write for you guys.

Oh god it's so cheesy I can actually smell it.

\- Lucy-chan


	7. Herro There

**Hello all. I don't know you yet, and I don't think any of you know me. This isn't even my account, I kinda... acquired it. Before you all run screaming to the police, let me just clear the air, kay?**

 ***takes deep breath***

 **My name is classified information. Sorry, but discretion is my guaranty. However, if you want, you may call me Bishop. Or Senpai. Or Lord. Or Grand Master. All fall under my title, and are appropriate when describing me.**

 **I'm kidding guys, please don't hate me.**

 **Anyway, yeah. My name is Bishop, and I'm taking over this account. BOW BEFORE ME PEASANTS AS I RULE OVER... you(?) My keyboard (?) The world (?)**

 **My bestiest bestie Lucy-chan (the one who was running this account before) has dropped off the face of the Earth... Technology wise. Don't worry, one day she may return. She's just** **really** **busy right now. She's ROTC. For those of you too lazy to google it, it basically means she's working for the United States Airforce since they paid for her college tuition. She's a pilot-in-training, with a bachelor's in Electrical Engineering. AKA way ahead in life compared to me.**

 **So yeah, I'm taking over. She knows, she gave me permission, THIS IS NOT IDENTITY THEFT!**

 **Now, there is a slight problem. She and I share many many many many common interests (being Percy Jackson, Fairy Tail, Ouran High School Host Club, Hamilton, Assassins Creed, The Walking Dead [game and comics, not le show], The Legend of Zelda, Dr. Who, Avatar the Last Airbender, Corpse Party, ALL OF THE STUDIO GHIBLI MOVIES [gahhhhh], Undertale, The Elder Scrolls Games, Life is Strange, Harry Potter, ect. [honestly, the list goes on forever and ever and ever god dang it]), but I know literally nothing about Until Dawn. Literally. I'm not even joking. The only thing I've ever seen or heard about it besides Lucy's constant ramblings, is that Hayden Panettiere is in it. And that she's a badass. That's it.**

 ***cowers as everyone throw tomatoes, boots, and eggs, whilst screaming bloody murder.***

 **Yeah... Sorry. I know she had a direction for this story, but she's just way too busy right now guys. I am probably going to partner up with my friend Dante, and he's practically the biggest UD fangirl I know. Like, even more than Lucy.**

 **So yeah, you guys might get some UD action. Every other story posted from now on however, will be from my interests (see: list above.)**

 **If I see you, great. If not, that's cool. You do you mate.**

 **I know that this is more of a disappointment than a celebration, but look on the bright side: Now you've got me!**

 **May the ground you walk on quake as you pass.**

 **~Bishop**


End file.
